Why I Do This Work
There is something most of us long for in a relationship: to be truly seen and truly loved as we are—imperfect, human, and worthy of care.
My own life and professional journey have taught me that the way we love is deeply shaped by what we learned early on about closeness, safety, belonging, and conflict. For many years, I did not fully understand why certain patterns kept repeating in my relationships. Over time, I came to see that many of the ways I loved, protected myself, overgave, reacted, or lost my footing had roots that were much older than the present moment. I did not know it yet, but I would spend much of my life trying to understand what love really is, what belonged to me, what belonged to my family members, and how to love without disappearing inside inherited patterns. These weren't choices I made as an adult; they were scripts I inherited to navigate my early world.
I was carrying patterns I had not yet learned to understand. We cannot change what we cannot see.
My counseling training gave language and structure to what I had lived, showing me how to heal the way I related to myself, to others, and to the world in general. Studying relationships through the lenses of attachment, family systems, and experiential practice helped me meet my history with more compassion and less judgment. That work changed the way I relate to myself, to my husband, and to the people I love.
Today, I bring that lived understanding into the room with humility, steadiness, and grounded hope. I became a therapist because learning how to love more consciously changed my life. Now, I help others do the same.
My Approach
My style is warm, direct, and grounded. I help slow things down so the deeper pattern can be seen clearly and worked with safely.
I do not believe healing happens through blame, shame, or endless analysis. Change begins with awareness, accountability, and the support to do something different in real time. Together, we look at the protective strategies, emotional reactions, old wounds, and relational habits that keep people stuck — and we begin practicing new ways of responding.
My work is relational, experiential, trauma-informed, and practical. I draw from attachment theory, family systems thinking, interpersonal neurobiology, and Relational Life Therapy–informed work. I support clients not only in understanding why they react the way they do, but in building the capacity to respond with more honesty, steadiness, and care.
What It Feels Like to Work With Me
People often tell me they feel both safe and challenged in our work together.
I am compassionate, engaged, and honest. I will gently reflect what may be difficult to see on your own, while helping you stay connected to yourself and to what matters most. I know when to be direct, and I know when to simply hold space.
My goal is not to make you feel judged. My goal is to help you see more clearly, take responsibility where needed, and move toward the kind of relationship you actually want to live in.
You leave with more than insight. You leave with practical understanding and skills you can begin using in daily life.
Professional Orientation
Before entering the counselling profession, I spent 25 years in private practice as a holistic practitioner, where my somatic journey began and my understanding of nervous system regulation first took root.
I hold a Diploma in Transpersonal Counselling Psychology, with training grounded in relational, systemic, experiential, humanistic, and trauma-informed practice. My work is further shaped by attachment theory, human development, systems thinking, and Relational Life Therapy, and I am in the final stage of completing my RLT certification.
As a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC #3308) with ACCT, I practice within the ACCT Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, work within my areas of competence, and refer out when specialized support is needed.
The Bodymind Cocoon™
A unique, four-pillar approach to deep integration.
The Bodymind Cocoon™ is a somatic relational framework designed to provide the safety and structure needed for deep personal repair. It integrates nervous system regulation with relational awareness, helping you move from reactive patterns to conscious, grounded connection. By addressing the roots of inherited scripts, we create a supportive environment where your true self can emerge and thrive.
1. Somatic Safety
2. Relational Awareness
Deepening your capacity for internal regulation, creating a steady internal environment for growth.
Identifyinginherited patterns and protective strategies to move toward authentic connection.
3. Conscious Responsibility
4. Deep Integration
Building the skills to own your impact and speak your truth with steadiness and care.
Merging insight with experiential practice to live the partnership you actually want.
At the heart of my work is a belief of mutuality.
I do not believe healthy love is built on self-sacrifice, emotional domination, or one person carrying the whole relational load. Many of us were shaped by roles we never consciously chose, roles that taught us to over-accommodate, over-control, shut down, or lose ourselves in the name of love. My work helps bring these patterns into awareness so that truth, self-respect, tenderness, and real partnership can begin to take their place.
Qualifications & Professional Training
- Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC #3308)
- Transpersonal Counselling Psychology Diploma
- Trauma-Informed Practice Specialist
- Relational Life Couples Therapy (RLT) Practitioner Training Level 3
- The Relational Brain with Julianne Taylor Shore
- Certified Hakomi & Somatic Relational Informed
- 25 Years of Holistic Practitioner Dipl. Shiatsu Therapist
My Relational Values
- Relational Honesty:
Naming what is really happening without shaming or blaming. - Relational Courage:
Facing hard truths with support, rather than avoiding what matters. - Repair Over Being Right:
Prioritizing re-connection, responsibility, and health over winning. - Warm Directness:
Offering clear, caring reflection in service of growth.